Karen Gaffney will arrive in Belize on Sunday. In a sense, she is a celebrity, but if you're wondering why you don't recognize her name, it's because she's not famous for being famous, she's famous for excelling in the face of overwhelming odds. The 26-year-old woman has down syndrome and has established a foundation to raise awareness and break down stigmas and stereotypes associated with the disorder. Dr. Francis Smith is arranging her visit and he told us what to expect.
Dr. Francis Smith,
"Karen Gaffney is an amazing young woman with Down Syndrome. Recently she stunned the world because she participated in a team that actually swam the English Channel, that's a body of water between France and England. Karen Gaffney is also the founder of the Karen Gaffney Foundation and she has an amazing list of achievements.
The purpose of Karen's visit really is for her to demonstrate through her physical being her, herself basically, and she's quite impressive doing it, she wants to demonstrate that these children with down syndrome and other children with developmental disabilities can achieve, they can learn, and seeing them will prove that point."
Karen Gaffney arrives on Sunday and will hold a series of lectures with persons living with disabilities and those working with them next week.
